A Long Time Coming
by Sabere Commander
Summary: The imprisoned underground had broken free and waged war on the surface. The surface had lost the war and was sealed underground, where they would struggle to rebuild. A boy met a girl and they became siblings but all is not well. The girl wanted to be free, for her people to be free, so she tried to free them. Boy is left without girl... Isn't it funny how history repeats itself?
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING:  
** This story contains graphic content that may not be suitable for viewers of all ages. Of you are squeamish at the thought of blood or violence, then please turn back now. This story contains the following: graphic violence, suggestive themes, drug use, sexual themes, shipping, OC centricness, AU setting, content inappropriate for young audiences, and heavy inspiration from the story "They say a star dies long before we ever see it." which can be found on Archive of our Own. **Viewer discretion is advised.**

* * *

 **A Long Time Coming**

I

"On colder Days"

A long time ago, humans dwelled across the Earth in immense numbers too immeasurable to count. They had built great cities with massive structures dedicated to their culture and history. They had spread across the globe for both the greater good and the bad. They had _fought_ so much that they couldn't stand certain groups. Thousands abused technology to go to war for their own greedy goals. Despite this, humans still thrived and blossomed across the world. For all the horrible atrocities they had committed, there was still a good inside them that constantly fought for control.

Like anything, there were dark intentions and then there were the good intentions. The two constantly fought and clashed, one occasionally defeating the other and racking up a victory. As convoluted as the idea of morals was, it was what ruled their world and made every day worth living to them, regardless of the hardships they faced. Thinking about how life was for them, it was confusing to see why they took it all for granted. Unfortunately, the life of luxury makes one's senses dull, their instincts for survival hidden beneath layers of complexity they also forgot to appreciate. So when the great war came, there was very little humans could do.

They had stripped themselves of every natural instinct that wasn't fight or flight. They fought hard, harder than anyone gave them credit for, too the bitter end some would say. The bitter end wouldn't be the death that many had fantasized about. What was once billions of people scattered across uncountable stretches of land had been withered away to a meager million or so fighting tooth and nail to hold their last home. It resembled castles of old with large walls of white and dozens of people moving along the walls. The irony of such a last bastion of hope did not escape, nor deter, the enemy.

The enemy was something they had never imagined before. A variety of creatures that used abilities that could only be described as magic. There was no technology that cold counter it, no equipment that would allow an equal playing field. They were fighting an enemy they could hardly damage, one that would slaughter them with a flick of their wrists. They were ruthless and spared no one, they were monsters...

It would seem that for all the differences between humans and monsters, both felt some sympathy. The monsters were reluctant to allow humanity a chance to live on; however, they eventually were convinced by only a small margin. Humanity would be locked and caged in the same place the monsters appeared. The survivors of the war were cast into Mt. Ebott with nothing but the few things they could carry. Anything that had been there from monster kind was gone, humans would have to start from nothing down below, far away from the world.

The monsters used some of their most powerful spells and casters to seal any entrance to the mountain. Nothing would be allowed to ever leave the mountain. The monsters rejoiced because they had seen the surface and now ruled over it, triumphing over humanity. They moved into the structures humanity had built, tearing down some and repurposing others. They experienced the exact same prosperity humans had enjoyed and worked so hard for, for so long...

 **xxxXxxxXxxxXxxx**

 **...**

Beneath the surface in the dark depths of the mountain was a different story. While the monsters experienced what many could call peace and they flourished, their problems finally being over, humanity was just beginning its long journey down a path of misery. The cave system beneath Ebott was too small for the thousands that were forced below the surface. There wasn't enough space for everyone to survive. This made the remnants of humanity to fall into what would be called the _Great Famine_ a period in which the survivors endured chaos and anarchy. Murder, theft, and other crimes become normal for most, just another means of surviving. Something that ensured only the strong were capable of surviving.

When the competition become tough for anyone surviving the initial chaos, a group rose above the rest. A group that stopped all of the death, or at least lessened it considerably. They took control through force and brutality, bringing opposition under their boot. It was strange to see how easily they stole control back and reigned the populace in. If you disagreed with them then it was fine, yet if you opposed them you would be executed. Simple, cut, clean, like them.

It wouldn't be until the first generation born inside the underground would something other than control the anarchists need be done. A new generation meant new challenges that were far different from normal survival. Now you had to care for another, someone who couldn't survive without you, someone who was too important for you not to cherish. Humans, by that point had become even rarer than before.

Things like education, clothes, and medicine needed to be developed. More food needed to be produced and civil unrest grew as life become harder once again. The controlling group took pride in prioritizing children over adults, they weren't a threat and could be manipulated into being loyal to them. They shifted into something other than a militarized faction that could stamp out resistance. The molded into a government, if even an imperfect one. The created a workforce, generated labor, and found a way to keep humans alive for a few more years.

Despite things being despairingly grim, humanity persisted and survived underground. These recoveries lead to what was known as the _Great Schism_ in which the old government was replaced. For all the good they had brought, they were founded in the idea of martial law. They came from the remnants of the old world's military. Humanity had moved past the point of chaos and panic, they needed to prosper and grow outside of fear. A long battle occurred between the two factions, one the saviors of humanity(S.O.H.) and the other the human advancement core(H.A.C.) which won the war.

The revolution was short lived for the people of the underground. The promises of enough food to feed everyone crumbled away along with the other promises. Through the ashes rose a terrifying government that resembled the old surface governments. It controlled and knew everything and there was no fighting it. The crime rate was reduced purely from fear and the food shortages grew worse. Medicine had become available, but only to a select few. Less than a hundred years had passed when the third generation appeared and grew into the world, well under the world.

These new souls were few in comparison to previous generations, but the managed to sustain themselves. The population had dropped so drastically that starvation was a rare occurrence. The new generation never grew to the same height or builds that their grandparents had. The lack of nutrients made it impossible for such a thing to happen. By the time humanity had officially started looking for a way out of the Underground, it had been more than one hundred and twenty years.

H.A.C. developed laboratories over the lava zone and near the barrier. The main governing body was with the largest portion of the military might the underground possessed. Two hundred soldiers had been trained in hand-to-hand and close quarter combat. They were given mere knives to fight, gunpowder had become a rare commodity in the Underground of the _Great Schism._ There were some units permitted access to the remaining firearms and ammunition, but they were only to be used in worst-case scenarios.

The area with running water was where the rich and middle class resided. The lower class was forced to endure the biting winds of winter inside the frozen zone. The furthest area was referred to as the Gates because prisoners would be taken there, but never return. The area was off limits to civilians, but military convoys constantly travel to and from there. The sites were dubbed Castle Alpha, Castle Bravo, Eden, Polaris, and Echo, all of them labeled respectively.

It was in Polaris that we find two young souls, each unique in their own right. One a girl and the other a boy, but neither the same age. The boy was eleven years old and a forth generation human. The girl was also a forth generation human, but she was nine years old. The only other thing that could be said about the children was that they were orphans, both separated from their families by a sick ironic twist of fate...

 **xxxXxxxXxxxXxxx**

 **...**

The trash can lid sitting outside of a brick building fell to the snow covering the ground. The soft crunch was followed quickly by the shifting of paper bags inside the trash can. Someone was rummaging through the trash can, no doubt in search of scraps. Trashcans behind buildings, such as the brick one in Polaris, tended to often hold _some_ food that was still edible. Unfortunately for those that search through the tins, the owner of the establishment had made sure not to dump the food in that trash can anymore. This meant that, like the previous explorers, the current boy sifting through the trash found nothing to eat.

He remained determined to find some sort of food, so they searched through the bags in the trash. He was only a kid, yet he had to resort to sorting through trash to find food. Regardless, when the kid found a paper bag that had the remains of smashed fries their face lit up like a Christmas tree. He grabbed some of the smushed potatoes and shoved them in his mouth. The fries had grown soggy, bland, but it was the most filling thing he'd eaten in a week. The boy heard the soft crunching of approaching food steps and realized he was alone in the open. Using instincts that had formed from too many unfavorable experiences, the boy darted into the nearby trees and hid.

The crunching echoed from around the building until the person causing it stepped into view. They were a little kid, not even ten years old, yet they too were scrounging for food. They cautiously glanced around the back of the building, looking for any others. Scavenging for food was dangerous and the competition was, more often than not, fierce. The small child tentatively approached the garbage can, not caring that it had already be rummaged through.

They dug through what remained in the can, a frown from disappointment stretched across their face when nothing edible was found. Their hands had become covered in the muck from messes unknown, their sweater dirty from the wrists to the elbows. The let out a soft breath of air the turned white in the air. They next thing on their list was checking the bags scattered about on the ground. They managed to peak inside one paper bag before the jiggling of a handle caught their attention.

The owner of the restaurant had stepped outside, a box full of trash in his arms. When he saw the child and the child them, they froze. The owner quickly realized they had been searching their trash can and responded with the typical response. Yelling obscenities and throwing what garbage he was carrying at them. The box, which couldn't have weighed twenty pounds, was heavy enough to throw the child unnervingly far. This did nothing to deter the shop owner as they begin picking up the scattered trash and tossing it at the downed child. He treated them like they were a mangy animal.

The boy, having seen enough, slowly inched closer to the scene. He was conflicted whether he should help the younger child or leave without being noticed. The more he watched trash pile up on the younger kid, the more he wanted to leave. The urge to assist won the battle when the owner chucked a tin can at the child, who had just begun standing, and hit them in the head. He had remembered plenty of times when he was in dire need of help, yet nobody came to his aid. With one last effort to swallow his fears, he grabbed some of the mushy fries he had in the bag and threw them at the face of the owner.

The fries splattered on their cheek, which caused them to recoil in disgust and wipe the food off their face. The smaller child just sat up and stared, eyes wide as can be, at the boy who was distracting the owner. The boy managed to make contact with them, which was enough to convince the younger child the incentive to run while they still had the chance. The man attempted to shout at the fleeing child, but another handful of mushy potatoes pulled his attention away and to the boy. The man had the most murderous look in his eyes he could muster. It was then that the boy regretted his actions. He swallowed a lump of spit before turning and sprinting into the woods.

He ran across what tree roots he could and desperately tried to keep up the pace without tripping. He leaped off each root with fear-fueled adrenaline, quickly rebounding to another to keep going as fast as possible. He could hear the heavy thumps of the many behind them, he feared what would happen should they catch him. He started to zig-zag between trees to throw the adult off, but to no avail, they closed the distance with barely any effort. His breathing hitched as he became more winded, overwhelming his instincts with fear. They were still close and he couldn't outrun them much longer.

He crawled under a fallen tree, using his momentum to slide most of the way. He stood, not caring for the pain in his knees from the rough rocks and dirt. He tried to run and was yanked back to the tree by someone holding onto their collar. With fluency and speed he didn't know he possessed, he spun and let the jacket slide off his arms. The man was right there, holding his jacket with a glare that would make even apples loose their color. The boy spared him one last glance before turning and sprinting off into the rest of the woods, comfortable with the idea of leaving the jacket to escape.

He jogged further into the woods until he was sure that he wasn't followed by the man. He slowed until he stopped, throwing his hands on his knees to brace himself, before gasping for air. His breaths wheezed and were unnaturally quick for someone so young. It took some time for his breathing to settle, but when it did he took a moment to think. He thought about what had just happened and what he just did.

He had helped that kid get away and, in the process, lost what little food he had acquired. Helping them only hurt him, so why did he go out of his way to help? He'd never received help and he turned out fine, more or less. He also lost his jacket too, which he regretted quickly. The cold nipped at his unprotected arms and face, forcing a shiver through his body. When the adrenaline rush faded and he regained feeling, the cold began to encompass his body and freeze him. It was then that he went deathly still, not from the cold, but from his situation dawning in his mind.

He was out in the middle of the woods, just outside of Polaris, in the coldest part of the underground. He had no jacket or anything to give him warmth and he was hungry. He looked back at the way he came from, but soon realized he didn't know the exact path he went from the brick building. His lip shook and he looked upwards at the sky, it would be dark in about an hour, he needed to get back to civilization...

 **xxxXxxxXxxxXxxx**

 **...**

Some time had passed since his meeting with the child and man. He was the boy who saved the kids life; although, he was now huddled away in his bedroom. The bedroom was one of the rooms in a second story house that had been condemned. He was the only one living in it since an accident some years ago. He'd recovered, for the most part, but the scars still show up.

He was wearing a dirty white shirt and faded blue jeans. He was looking outside at the falling snow. He was looking at the people standing outside. He was staring at the kid, that had somehow managed to find where he lived, standing outside. He was looking at the older kids bullying the little kid...

He let loose a sigh before going down to the first floor of his house. He speed walked into the kitchen and pulled a metal bar out from behind the counter. The metal bar was a piece of a fence at one point, but years of slate and snow had eroded it, allowing him to yank it off the fence he found it on. Since then he'd been using it as a method of defense against criminals invading his house. He supposed it wasn't a good idea leaving it downstairs, but he'd been too tired when he returned to take it up with him.

He made his way to the door and slowly opened it. One of them had shoved the kid to the ground. They were taunting them, but the kid wasn't even fighting back or saying something. He sighed before opening the door completely, allowing the door to slam into the wall. The sound drew their attention away from the kid, he figured it was good. Probably for the kid, but definitely not for him and yet here he was doing so for nothing.

He said nothing, only stepping forward onto the dusty porch. He raised the bar in his hand and pointed it at them. He was thoughtful enough to have tied rags around the handle, so using it wouldn't hurt him. He'd never actually had to use it though, it usually scared off any would be attacks. These people though, there was three of them and they clearly weren't afraid. One of them actually grinned and stepped forward.

He looked average, black hair, white skin, dark brown eyes. He wore dark blue clothing with some padding in it. He stepped forward, leaving his cohorts to harass the kid on the ground. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked to be a makeshift knife. They waved it around in a threatening manner, which slightly discourage the young boy on the front porch. The boy became discouraged and he smiled, turning back to smile at his friends. He started walking towards them at a snail's pace.

"So here's how it's gonna go." The sound of soft crunches echoed. "You're gonna give us your food and valuables, or we're gonna-" He had started to turn back around when his vision went black. The boy had smacked him in the head with the bar, doing a great deal of damage, but the bar remained firm and unyielding. With a spurt of blood, they collapsed to the ground, eyes closed tight and blood dripping from their mouth.

A hard glare set in the boy's eyes when he stared at the two others. They were stunned at their friend being downed so quickly. One of them managed a meager cry of shock. The other took a step back from the scene. A low muffled cry/moan came from the downed teenager but was drowned out by a gurgle. While everyone's eyes were on the gurgling person lying still in the snow, one of the attackers took the opportunity to disarm the young boy.

He grabbed at the boy's arms, trying to wrench the weapon away from the boy. The boy managed to twist out of his grasp and swung the bar at the attacker's knees. A gross snap and pop followed the impact, making the older of the two boys crumble to the ground holding their injured leg. A scream ripped from their throat, which was incentive enough for the last to flee the area. The boy wasted no time and grabbed the kid who had been lying in the snow the whole time and pulled them to his house.

He yanked them inside and slammed the door shut. He locked whatever locks he could before peaking through the boards against the windows. He could make out one of the teenagers crawling away at an abysmal pace, still clutching their knee. He was concerned when he saw the first one he attacked was lying still in the same spot where they dropped. He took a step back and turned, looking for the kid.

The small kid had wandered into his kitchen. They were looking at the counters and, occasionally, they peaked into the cabinets. They ceased their search when they noticed him watching. The two children stared at each other, neither saying anything until the older decided to speak. His voice was soft from lack of food and the cold.

"Heh, you're not gonna find anything in there." He stepped away from the window and looked around the rest of the living room. To his right was another window, but with fewer boards. He had piled one of the couches in front to make up for that problem. He looked straight ahead, back at the kid. "I was smart enough not to leave the food in the most obvious spot." He let a small smile slip out but other than that an awkward silence hung in the air.

He walked to the left of the kitchen and turned around, going up the stairs. There was one window in the stairway, but it was too high for anyone to climb through, just a decoration. He made it to the second floor before stopping. He thought about calling down to them but decided against it. He was just going to his room, it was the only room he kept anything of value in. He walked left of the stairs down the hallway and walked into his room, closing the door behind himself.

He looked around his room, the place he had been when he spotted the kid again. There was a bed to the right, but it had long since fallen into disrepair. Across from the bed was the sleeping bag he had been using, it had a paper bag next to it with a small piece of bread, just larger than the palm of one's hand. To his left was the closet where he kept what little clothes he had. It wasn't until now that he realized just how barren the place was.

He walked over to the sleeping bag and sat down on it. He unconsciously reached beneath the covers and grasped a small screwdriver he had picked up one day. He never needed it, but it was always better to be safer than sorry. He waited there for five minutes, listening for a door slam to signal them leaving, or anything. It never came, so naturally the boredom overwhelmed his alertness and forced his eyelids to droop. Before he realized it he was sleeping and ignorant to the world around him...

Soft thumps reached him, they were so soothing. They were interrupted by long stretches of quiet. He could almost stay asleep because of how nice those sounds were. Unfortunately, the sounds stopped and were replaced with something much less comforting. A really annoying and loud creaky sound that woke him up.

He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and his vision cleared. He could see something was off about the room. He couldn't quite tell what it was, but-*creak*-he... His vision snapped to the door and saw a small tuft of brown hair. That and someone peeking into his room.

"Who?" His brows furrowed before the door slowly opened more to reveal the younger kid. "Oh, it's just you." His eyes still held an air of tiredness. The kid entered the room slowly and cautiously as if expecting someone to jump out and scare them. "You need something?" He stared at them but all they did was sit down and look around. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"* _wheeze_ *" They had opened their mouth but no words came out, only a quiet wheeze came out.

"Something wrong?" They opened their mouth as if they wanted to talk but they just closed their mouth. Sitting in silence wasn't something he was comfortable with, so he broke the ice. "Can you talk?" The kid seemed nervous but managed to shake their head. "Hmmm... Hold on, I might have something that can help..." He slipped the screwdriver into his pocket, he didn't really trust the kid with his back to them, stood up and headed to the closet. He dug through old things like a shoe box and a duffel bag before he found an old notepad with a pine in the spine.

He backed out of the closet and closed it. He gave the kid the notepad and pen before sitting across from them, watching them carefully. The hesitated using, glancing between him and the notepad, before using it. The wrote slowly and carefully like they were struggling to do so. When they finished, they flipped the pad around and showed him their message. The handwriting had been horrible, but somehow legible enough to make sense of.

"WHY HELP"

Well, it wasn't pretty but at least it was straight forward. Now onto the question, which was one he'd asked himself after he'd helped them the first time. It was a question he didn't have a real answer for. He'd lost sleep over it for a few days before ignoring it."I don't know, I try not to think about it because." He starred at them and them him. They went back to writing.

"FRISK"

He stared at the text before figuring it was their name. It was unusual to seem someone with a name like that, he'd never meet or read of anybody with a name like that, but he didn't really care either. "Cool, name's Eran." He stuck his arm out and waited for them to shake it. When they didn't he retracted the offer. "I take you haven't had much in the way of teaching huh?" A small smile broke his lips apart again. They shook their head "no" to prove he was right in his guess. "Would you like to be taught?"

They stared at their hands for a moment before going back to writing. They took longer with this response, he supposed they were writing a longer response than before. He was wrong when the showed him the notepad. There was no long sentence or string of words to convey their feelings or thoughts. What Frisk had written was a simple, yet childishly written...

" **YES** "

He thought about the effort they had _seemed_ to be putting into writing a response, only for it to be a simple yes. It made him smile _and_ chuckle, which was strange since he hadn't done so in a while. " _Man get a hold of yourself, geez. You're acting like a weirdo._ " His smile shrunk but remained nonetheless.

"Yeah, okay. I'll help, but you gotta help me too." Frisk tilted their head, almost like they didn't understand what he entailed. "You gotta help find food. I already helped you twice, can't go around just given everything away for free eh?" They smiled in response and nodded. "Yeah, don't wanna give people the impression that I'm a charity or nothing." He commented...


	2. II-On Warmer Days

**Author Note:  
** Well, I hope you enjoy the second chapter. Yes I know I've been focusing on the original character Eran but that's because the story will center on him. No, the story won't take place entirely in the underground and yes we'll get to the real story soon. So hang in there and please make sure to review this story. I completely understand how violence isn't a staple of Undertale but we're talking about humans from the 21st century here-technically the 22nd century by the time this story takes place-so we can't just act like humans are super peaceful. Also, make sure to hop on by my friend _Nightshade316_ who's writing his own Undertale story and who was the first reviewer. If you have any questions, then I'll answer them once you leave them in a review or a message, until then stay classy everyone.

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 **A Long Time Coming**

 **II**

"On Warmer Days"

There was a dark room with two streams of light beaming in through a boarded up window. Very few things could be made out inside the room. Some of the things were boxes, clothes, some furniture, and a bed. The bed was pretty big, probably a queen size mattress. The bed looked to be moving, but it was really just someone waking up.

Not much could be seen of them, probably due to how dark it was. They stood up and stretched their arms out, causing faint pops to be heard in their joints. They didn't waste time and headed straight to the door across from the foot of their bed and into a bathroom. The room was, somehow, even darker than the room he was just in. He flipped the light on and the room lit up in a shower of gold. It was followed by the sound of running water. It was accompanied by splashes before a squeak resounded and the sound of flowing water stopped.

Then soft thumps of feet on tiles were followed by more squeaking. The sound of rushing water and the pitter patter of rain reached one more person's ears. They grumbled at the loud sound before tossing and turning. They sat up, still in bed, their messy hair comically sticking out in wild and unpredictable patterns. They seemed to glance around the room, the light from the bathroom illuminating their figure. It was Frisk and they seemed to be wearing a sweater much too big for them

In a manner one could find in old comics, Frisk slid off the bed on plopped onto the floor. They yawned before blinking the sleep out of their eyes. They squinted from the light bleeding into the room from the window. The thought of how early it was passed through their mind, but they ignored the idea. There weren't any clocks in the house, no working ones at least.

They stood up and walked to the door, taking note of Eran in the shower. They walked out into the hallway, ignoring the tuft of white from their breath. They walked to their right, heading to the hall and to the room furthest from the hall. They fiddled with a lock on the door next to the stairway. They opened the door and walked inside, finding many boxes of various items. They immediately opened a box and pulled out a package. It wasn't some much a package as it was a bowl wrapped tightly in brown paper.

They quickly opened it, revealing its contents to be white rice. They picked up a handful and shoveled it into their mouth. It was bland, but it was so filling in comparison to bread. They stuffed as much into their mouth as they could before swallowing. They grabbed another bowl and walked out of the room, closing the door and locking it behind them. They walked towards the room but stopped when the sound of footsteps reached their ears. It was coming from downstairs...

A frown invaded their face, they hoped it wasn't something like rats. They considered walking back to the room but when the rustling persisted they thought it better to investigate. Better to see whether they were just hearing things or if something really was there. Walking down stairs, they stopped at the end of the stairs and looked around. They couldn't see anyone or hear anything anymore. Maybe they scared whatever it was away.

The went to walk back up the stairs when a pair of arms grabbed them. A hand curled around their mouth, preventing a shout of surprise. The other arm wrapped around their waist and yanked them into the living room. The bowls dropped to the floor and broke. They were held against somebody and held tight, arms squeezing them. It was too tight and they were having trouble breathing, so they tried struggling.

They managed to wiggle and arm free before trying to push off of the attacker. Quiet grunts, ruffling of clothing, and heavy breathing filled the hearing of both. Frisk had almost made it away from the person when they felt the wind leave them. It was followed by an incredible pain in their stomach that radiated out. Spittle flew from the mouth just before they were allowed to drop to the floor.

The two stood ominously over Frisk, staring down at them. All Frisk could do was hunch over and gag on air, clutching their abdomen. The two spoke in hushed whispers while Frisk wasn't paying attention. They were sure that Frisk couldn't hear them, let alone understand them. Before the two split up, Frisk managed to catch some of what they were saying.

"Yeah, this one's the girl. The boy should be upstairs." The one that had grabbed her said.

"Never mind them, I'll get the boy. Just make sure she's secured." The one, presumably the one that had punched her, said. He had a dark mask over his face with dark blue tinted goggles. They both were wearing clothes that wore a mix of blue, white, and black color patterns. When the second left, Frisk looked up just in time to see the first bring his boot into her face...

 **xxxXxxxXxxxXxxx**

 **...**

Jumping awake, Eran found himself back in his bed in the master bedroom. He was covered in sweat from his nightmare. He breathed heavily while his eyes darted around the room. The room was just as it had been in the nightmare, except it was darker. He slid the covers off of himself and stood beside the bed. He stumbled his way over to the window, nearly tripping over items in the dark. He managed to peak through the blinds covering the window.

He could see the woods surrounding his house. The snow seemed to glow in the dark, but not enough to actually light anything up, just enough to make a silhouette. The sky was still the iconic inky black of night. The trees themselves look like something out of a horror movie with their spindly branches. For him, this was all normal because he had been living there for the better part of his life.

He sighed before turning around to look at the bed. He knew it wasn't even 6:00am in the morning. The sight of the bed, with its warm and blankets, and the soft mattress was an incredibly tempting sight. He could just lay back down and sleep until he actually had to be awake. Unfortunately, his vision also swept over the bed's other occupant, Frisk. She was curled up with the blankets twisted around her, yet she was still shivering from the cold. Any motivation to do so melted away when he saw them.

He had a job now, a _real_ job that paid enough to keep them fed but not enough to afford all the commodities that would allow for a comfortable life. He was a police keeper in Polaris and had been so for about a month. He needed to impress the others at the station and get a promotion from his current standing. He and Frisk couldn't keep living like _this_ in _these_ conditions. He walked over to the closet and began pulling out his uniform. He supposed coming in early would get his reputation up.

He dug through some of the clothes they'd acquired over their time spent living together. He grabbed a thick dark blue jacket and a camouflaged face mask. He quickly pulled out a white T-shirt and an old pair of beat up shoes. He was already wearing his warmest pair of pants. He swapped out his muscle shirt for the tee and slipped the socks on, two per foot. He then threw the jacket over his shoulders and put his shoes on. He tied the shoelaces before walking into the bathroom.

He made sure the quietly close the door before flicking the light switch into the on position. The lights buzzed to life, illuminating the mirror and giving him the chance to admire his reflection. He had grown tall compared to when he was younger, to be about five feet and five inches. His hair was darkened from the dark brown it was to a near black, but his eyes remained the same chocolate brown. He'd become slimmer but retained enough muscle to be considered muscular. His jacket had two stars on the shoulder blades and one of his shoes had a single hole over the big toe area. He smiled, pale skin shimmering under the yellow light.

"Not too bad, not too bad at all." He blinked the sleep out of his eyes a few times before pulling his mask up into view. It was the only thing that was camouflaged and it was a simple white, light gray, and dark gray design. He slipped it over his head and left the room, turning the bathroom light off so he didn't wake Frisk. He waited only enough to make sure they were still sound asleep before leaving the room.

He walked away from the room with a ghost-like silence. He allowed a yawn to escape his mouth before he made his way downstairs. The windows and side doors had been covered in boards. The coaches he used as makeshift barriers had been returned to their original places. The house looked more homeish than before but he didn't have time to enjoy it like he use to.

He opened the door, allowing a blast of cold air to rush into the house and chill everything. He wasn't even outside and he could see his breath. He stepped out and closed the door behind himself. He thanked god that there wasn't a blizzard and that it was only just bone chilling cold. The boards to the wooden porch bowed and creaked under his weight. Fortunately, a good portion of his weight was from the clothes and they were doing their job. He continued to walk away from the house and into the woods.

The trek through the woods wasn't as long as he remembered it being. It only took ten minutes of walking to get to town. It was a small detachment of the main part of Polaris. A small somewhat town like area with a few people living in it. There were only about fifty people here, as opposed to the areas closer to the bridge zone. The town was called Frost Bite Village because of the blood freezing temperatures.

It was far, really far, from the center of Polaris. It was actually pretty close to the outer walls, his house was nearly at their base. For those that didn't know, Polaris uses the land bridge as a transportation area for civilians and military personnel. The only ways in and out of Polaris were heavily guarded by military units and outposts. The biggest towns in Polaris were built around the land bridges, restricting the only access out. It wasn't difficult to get a ticket out but _it was_ difficult to find a reason to leave.

Yes there were the obvious benefits like the thought of freezing to death becoming near impossible and more infrastructure, but housing became more expensive the further you got from Polaris. The simple fact is, more criminals and poor people live in Polaris, not out of choice but out of necessity. Nobody likes freezing their balls off in the occasional sub-zero temperatures. Additionally, Polaris didn't have many redeeming qualities outside of lumber. There were some quarries but those could be built anywhere. He glanced up and found himself in front of the station, it was time to return to reality.

Walking in, he looked around the office area and spotted his co-workers. There were only four of them but that's what you get for living in a remote area. The Lieutenant was a woman, somewhere around the age of 19, who worked just under the commander. The Sargent was at the desk searching through a pile of paperwork for something. He was a rough and rugged person but cleaned up and dressed well for work, it didn't do anything to dampen his stern attitude though. The only other person in the building, beside him, was the other corporal. Their name was Joseph, he didn't like to share his family name.

They were slender but really tall in comparison to everyone else, capping out at six feet. They had pale skin with pink cheeks, probably from the cold, as well as ice-blue eyes and dirty blonde hair. They wore the same jacket he wore but theirs was thicker and closer to a trench coat in design. The iconic stars rested on their shoulders as well. The one thing they wore different than anybody else was winter hat, which had fluffy ear covers and lots of fur. Eran had asked them about it at one point but they just said it was a family heirloom.

Joseph seemed to finally notice Eran and waved him over. Eran approached the older guy and smiled, the two of them were closest to friends you could find in the station. Joseph was drinking something from a glass bottle, some kind of murky liquid. Eran raised an eye at him, questioning what it was. Joseph just rolled his eyes before capping it and stuffing it back in his pocket.

"Just sweet water, had it ordered from Eden." He wiped his lips clear before continuing. "Cost an arm and a leg to get it delivered here, not to mention the walk to Snowslide Expanse. These forests aren't quite as homey like I remember." He chuckled at the mention of ever being at home in the Icecap Forests. Strangely enough, Eran had been thinking the same thing but didn't have anything to add to it.

"So, know what we're doing today?" Eran breathed out, noticing his breath was as visible as before. It seems he was warming up now that he was inside the heated building. Joseph nodded, waiting to reply so he could cough. He seemed impartial to the cold weather, for the most part, sometimes he would shiver but he was mostly unaffected.

"Raw Tiga, something going down there. They want us ready as soon as possible." Joseph smiled before he handed Eran a combat knife. The knife felt inexplicably light, maybe it was from too much practice that it had become second nature to hold one. "By the way, why come in so early?"

"I woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep." He could hear Joseph chuckle behind him. Nothing more was said before they exited the station and made their way down the road leading to the main city of Polaris, Snowslide.

Snowslide was a unique place in Polaris, for it was the most developed. It was built around the largest chunk of the land bridge that extended across the sector. It was the closest many residents in Polaris could get to Eden or even the restricted sector, Castle Alpha. It had dozens of heated buildings, bustling streets and a fancy town square that used electronic advertisement. Those kind of luxuries were expensive and only the biggest companies could afford them anywhere. Moving through Snowslide was a tedious task for any Law Enforcement because many criminals positioned sentries in the city to watch for them. The populace made it difficult to get through with any form of haste.

Fortunately, Eran and Joseph were what many called children of the woods. They both grew up in the woods for the majority of their life. They could navigate it with ease and it would allow them to bypass Snowslide, arriving at their destination nearly twice as quickly. When the arrived at the break-off point of the road, they smiled to one another. Even though they only met a few weeks ago, the two had formed a friendly competition in outdoing one another with tales of their wild exploits.

"Let's have a good old wolf race." Joseph said, making Eran raise his eyebrows.

"Wolf race?"

"Y'know, no climbing up and over things and such." Eran nodded, having understood what his friend meant. He looked at the wilderness ahead of himself before smiling. It seemed flat enough that it would mostly be running anyways.

"So when do we star-" He glanced at his friend as they bolted off into the woods. Their speed wasn't even hindered by the roots exposed on the surface. "Oh really!?" Eran started after them in an attempt to make up for the lost ground. he weaved between the trees and took the high ground, sliding down slopes and getting closer to Joseph. "Hey! you dirty cheater!" His friend just smiled back at him before shouting over his shoulder.

"What?! You said start!" This brought a chuckle from Eran as he fought to catch back up...

 **xxxXxxxXxxxXxxx**

 **...**

The town of Raw Taiga was, at first glance, a troubled town with ghettos everywhere. For those that knew of the town and especially for peace keepers the town was run by criminals. Unfortunately for the criminals here, the Peace Keeper Coalition was skilled enough to plant a mole in their intricate plans. The mole had reported the serious crime of dealing fire arms ammunition. Live ammunition had been banned for well over thirty years because of the dwindling supply. It was for this reason that Corporals Eran and Joseph were in the city.

The two walked on a side walk until coming to a bench. The town was bustling with activity but the strange thing was how almost no one noticed them or payed them any heed. Perhaps they'd gotten so use to the scouts informing them early, neither of them could say for certain though. They were looking for a guy dressed in grey clothing and unkempt facial hair. Apparently he was the one in possession of the contraband.

They'd been looking all over town and had no luck with spotting anyone fitting the description. They were about to give up hope of finding them before fellow P.K.s arrived. The two had no doubt they would take the road through the city and set off the alarms. They were running out of time and needed to find where in the hell this guy was hiding. Unfortunately, it seemed like nothing short of a miracle would make that happen.

"I'm telling you, we're close. I can feel it." Joseph spoke from his position next to Eran. The latter of the two was absently glancing around for anything interesting. "What do you think?" Joseph nudged his shoulder for a response.

"I don't know but I hope we can find 'em soon." He lazily spat out, glancing behind Joseph. He saw someone wearing a gray hoodie with gray sweat pants.

"I know, if only we had some sort of intel." Joseph spat out excitedly while Eran continued to observe the man, desperately hoping he was their target. They walked into the alley way not twenty feet away from them. "I know we can solve this. I'm telling you I can feel it in my bones." He turned to look at Eran only to find him not paying attention to him. "Hey, you're not even listening to me."

"Sh." Eran shushed him before slowly pointing to the alley way. Joseph looked at it before glancing back to to Eran.

"So what? It's an alley way. How's that supposed to help us?" Eran got up off the bench, starting to walk towards the alley.

"Because I think I just saw the person matching our target description walk into the alley." He pushed himself against the wall and slowed his approach, his friend Joseph was right behind him.

"What? How can you be sure?" Joseph whispered.

"I can't be sure. I didn't see a brief case but they match the description. I'm telling you." Eran peeked around the corner and saw the gray clothed man wasn't alone. Ahead of him were two other men dressed in various clothing. He tuned out his partner and focused on the trio. If there wasn't a brief case than arresting them would be useless. He had to wait for them to bring the case out, if this even was the right meeting.

"Hey, nice to meet you." The second of the two men spoke.

"No formalities, do you have what I asked?" The one in gray seemed to be jittery and nervous. The second went to pull something out; however, the first stopped him with a hand on their chest.

"Calm down, we got it. Hand over the stuff first." The first of the duo requested.

"Yeah, yeah, here." He reached into his pockets and pulled out dozens of metal coins. He did a check over his surroundings before making the hand motions for them to hand it over. The first nodded to their partner, who in turn pulled a small case into view and handed it to him.

"Bingo..." Eran muttered under his breath. The man quickly flipped the latches on the case and opened it, expecting to see the shiny cases of live ammunition. What he instead found were about a dozen sacks of gunpowder.

"Gunpowder? What the shit am I supposed to do with this?!" He yelled at the two, sticking his hand out to show the substance.

"Don't know and I don't care. You got what you paid for." They went to walk away when the sound of fabric rustling and some clicks pulled their eyes back.

"No! The deal was 100 live rounds of ammunition. Were are the bullets!" His hand shook while pointing a handgun at the two. The two just stared at him like he was mad.

"You don't have any bullets, you're bluffing." They both stared at him, yet none of them dared move.

"Oh you think I'm joking?" He jerked the gun at the second and fire off a round into his shoulder. The man collapsed to the ground clutching the wound. The partner lunged to help him but was stopped. "Hey!" He froze and stared at the gunmen in front of him. "How's that for no ammo huh? Give me the damn bullets before I put another one in your friend." A glare was returned. "Fine, be that way." He turned the pistol and fired a round into the man again, making him scream in agony.

That was it, the two peace keepers had seen enough to intervene now. It had become obvious that they wouldn't get anything more from just sitting and observing the exchange. Quietly, Eran signaled for Joseph to go around and cut them off if they tried to run. He crouched down low and advanced towards the gunmen. Eran noticed the man's eyes darted to him, the one held at gun point. Eran was nearly behind the crazed person when they caught on.

"What the?" He swung his gun around and took aim at Eran. Fortunately, he had already lurched forward to grab the man's arm and shove the gun up. It fired off and the seller bolted for the other alley exit. Eran punched the gunmen in the jaw and stomped on their foot. He was shorter than young Eran; however, he was a fair bit more muscle. The man twisted Eran's fist and pulled him into his knee.

Eran nearly collapsed to his knees but he managed to remain strong. He threw his head up and smacked the criminal in the face, sending them stumbling back. He thanked god that he had gotten his job earlier. It was only because he'd been eating well that he had the strength to withstand the punch. The criminal seemed like he would benefit from a good meal too. They clasped their nose and tried to blink away the pain. Eran shoved the gun holding arm down and kneed the man in his genitals.

"Gah!" Spittle flew out of his mouth before he dropped to his knees. Eran grabbed his shoulder and hit the man's torso once, twice, three times, before stumbling back. The man fell forward, forearm supporting himself while he clutched his stomach. The air had been knocked out of him and he was trying to regain it. Eran stepped forward quickly and kicked the man across his cheek. The man fell onto his back before he sprawled his legs and arms out. Eran took some breaths, the adrenaline rush still keeping his heart racing.

He looked up and saw his partner pull one of the sellers up by their arm before delivering a strong punch that knocked them out. The second seller was still on the ground, rolling around in pain. Some of their blood had started to pool around them. Eran took a step forward and pointed to the wounded man and Joseph nodded. Handcuffing the first crook before moving to check on the gun shot wounds. Eran flipped the criminal over and handcuffed the man's hands behind his back. He took a step back and leaned against the wall of some building. His stomach was _really_ hurting from that guy kneeing him.

He took the time to glance over at his partner and saw him finishing up the last crook. He cracked a smile, they had just taken out an illegal meeting. Them, him and Joseph, took people of low standings in the chain of command. He considered whether things were turning around for him before shooing the idea away. He didn't want to jinx it if that was the case. He just waited there, surely the gunshots frightened off any passers. They just had to wait for reinforcements to arrive...


	3. III-From Cold to Luke Warm

**Author's Note:**  
Hello ladies and gentlemen, trolls and derps alike! Welcome back to _A Long Time Coming_ which is my first standalone Undertale fan fiction. We're almost there people, we're nearly at the point of leaving the Underground! I hope you've enjoyed the story so far and sincerely hope you'll leave a review. I always enjoy hearing what you think and will even reply to your reviews. Unfortunately this chapter took way too long to come out because I had trouble writing a particular scene but I digress. I might being _willingly_ slowing down my work on this story to focus on some things outside of Fan Fiction net but I can't tell for sure yet. Anyways, I'll talk to you next chapter.

 **Xifihas** **:**  
I completely agree that humans would win a war against monsters but this story needs a war to work. Bullets are the part of an attack that does the damage; however, physical based projectile attacks do hardly any damage to magic based enemies in this world. Damage to the environment does the normal amount of damage because it's not an attack. The reason physical projectile attacks are weaker than melee attacks is because melee weapons act as a medium for human emotions, thus they are capable of dealing massive damage because they can transfer the humans killing intent. Killing intent has to have a direct path to the subject for it to take effect and can't survive outside of the body on its own.

* * *

 **A Long Time Coming**

 **III**

"From Cold to Luke Warm"

Raindrops formed on the ceiling of an immense cavern. The gathered with other raindrops before losing their grip and plummeting down below. In the time it took for the drop to reach the ground, it had been crystallized into a piece of hail. For most people in Polaris this was the closest to rain they could get. It was for this reason that most people in Polaris chose to stay inside. Unfortunately, peace keepers aren't allowed to stay inside when the weather gets rough. Once again, we find Eran getting ready to go out into the blistering cold and terrible elements for the sake of his job.

He wrapped a scarf around his neck whilst in the bedroom. He was wearing extra thick clothing this time around, lest he get some sort of concussion. He let out a sigh of frustration, this was the 16th day he's worked in a row. He was beginning to feel the effects of sleep deprivation. He had a patrol to go on as soon as he got to the station. He let out a sigh, white air shooting out of his mouth. He turned and looked at Frisk, still asleep.

He wanted to give them a better life than this. They may have had food but they didn't have heating or gas. Eran stopped to think about the situation he was in. He was fifteen and taking care of a thirteen-year-old. He could barely put food on the table and power on in the house. What few clothes the did have, he had to cut into their food budget to replace. He needed to find a way out of this life, for himself and Frisk.

He finished bundling himself up before going downstairs. There was no hiding it this time as the heavy amount of clothes managed to make him heavy enough to bow the boards in the floor. He ignored it and continued, there was no way they would wake up fully by the time he left. That was another thing he hated about working as a peace keeper, the low pay and long hours. He worked ten hours a day and it still wasn't enough. He considered taking a part-time job to finally afford all those things they wanted.

He left the house and made his way to Frostbite Village. The walk had become shorter due to him zoning out most of the time. He made it there much quicker than before, or at least he felt he did. He spared no time on the shops around, heading straight for the station to find his partner. When he got inside, it was deathly quiet and the only person he was sure of being there was Joseph. The man had been leaning against a cubical and sipping that imported sweet water. Eran managed to get a drink of it once and thought it was the biggest waste of money he'd spent in his life.

"Yo, where is everyone?" Eran looked up at Joseph and Joseph him. The man chuckled before whipping his lips and putting his drink away.

"Don't you know? Oh wait, you've been late for the past week." Joseph chided.

"Ah come on man, you know I've been having a hard time sleeping."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You've told me this before but it's not good for you y'know? Working so much." Joseph took once last glance around the room before moving from his position. "Anyways, we ain't gotta work today." He slowly began walking towards the doors, leaving a confused Eran to follow him.

"What do you mean? I thought peace keepers don't get days off because of bad weather?"

"Yeah, well this one's gonna be extremely bad. They say it's gonna be packed by the end of the day." Joseph opened the door and waited for Eran to follow him out.

"So you mean it's gonna be a blizzard soon? Wait what about-" Joseph held up a hand silencing him.

"My friend, you talk too much. Rebecca is banging Captain right now, so they don't really care." Joseph said offhandedly like it was a casual thing to talk about. For the two of them, it kind of was since they both practically knew about it but didn't have any evidence.

"So what about you? Why were you in there waiting for me?" The two stopped in front of a grocery store.

"Waiting for you? Nah, just getting in to keep warm." A chunk of hail bounced off his hat as if to prove his point. "It's just a good thing I catch you when you come in. You think Dick Monroe would've let you know?" He raised and eyebrow, another chunk of hail bouncing off of his hat. "Look, I need to buy a crap ton of soup because it's apparently going to be snowing hard all week. I advise you get home to your little sister and bring some goodies with you, you never know when you could use a pick me up.

Joseph walked into the store without further words. He was a strange person if Eran were being honest. At times he'd be like a best friend to him and others he'd be like an older brother. Eran shook his head, the hail was starting to pick up and he would need to get moving soon. He would heed the man's advice on grabbing some extra food before heading home, some good-warm-food. He had about twenty-five in change, just enough to get some decent food...

 **xxxXxxxXxxxXxxx**

 **...**

Frisk sat at home and practiced her handwriting. They had improved considerably since Eran first started teaching them but they still had a long path ahead if they wanted to write like people in the books do. That was another thing, she liked to read... like a lot... She would read whatever she could to alleviate the boredom of being stuck at home. Things had become rather somber since Eran started working more often. He didn't have time to talk or help her out anymore and it was starting to get to her.

She stopped writing a sentence to doodle on the side of the paper. She stopped before actually drawing, she never did find out how he got the paper of all things for her to practice on. Maybe she'd get to ask him when he got home. She went back to doodling, drawing multiple stars with rainbow color trails behind them and hearts weaving around them. She couldn't explain it but hearts and stars were her favorite thing to draw. She doodled for a few more minutes before the door opened, causing her to bolt into a standing position.

Someone walked into the house with their arms full of brown paper sacks. Frisk was on edge, ready to spring into action. There wasn't supposed to be anyone there today, or ever. They never got visitors at their house, it's why Eran had made his home so far out of the way. Thieves and robbers wouldn't be tempted to got that far out for practically nothing. Eran shouldn't have been home until the end of the day, so who the hell was this barging into the house?!

They stomped their boots to shake off the snow and warm their legs. Frisk glanced down at the pen she'd been writing with. It wasn't really a weapon but it could hurt if used as one. Coughing pulled their attention to the man in the house. They were standing in the same spot, waiting for something. They didn't speak until they cleared their throat, making Frisk feel like an idiot.

"You going to help me out or am I going to have to balance this stuff like a performer?" A chuckle came from him.

Frisk, after realizing that it was Eran standing in the doorway, rushed over to lighten the load on Eran. She discovered he had brought home groceries and set them on the counter in the kitchen. It was just three bags full but they seemed to be full of various ingredients. She turned around when Eran shut the front door, the force of which shook the house. She was curious whether he was upset at something but decided not to question it. She saw that she'd left her mess on the ground and rushed over to clean it up.

"Hey Frisk, how's it going?" Eran commented offhandedly when he walked past her. She glanced up at him but decided to just focus on cleaning up the mess. When she'd finished, she brought the items over to the counter and set them down. Eran had already started to cook something by the time she checked on what he was doing. She wrote on one of the pieces of paper before clearing her throat. Eran casually glanced over his shoulder at her.

" _What happened? Why are you home? You barely left an hour ago._ " She had feared that Eran might have lost his job, which would explain why he was home at the moment. _Then again_ she couldn't think of a reason they'd fire him. According to Eran, everything was going fine at work. She watched him read her message before he responded.

"Oh, it's hailing outside so they sent us home. It's going to be getting progressively worse all week apparently." Eran had apparently purchased an electric grill while he was out. She wouldn't argue with him over it because he did bring all of the money in but she wasn't comfortable with how he spent so much. Electric grills were pretty pricey because they were one of the few ways to heat food. Apparently he didn't intend on further elaborating because he just focused on preparing food.

" _Why'd you buy the grill? And all that food?_ " Frisk held the pad up for over a minute but he didn't even glance her way. Her face dropped into a deadpan, frown stretched across her face with her eyes morphed into a glare. She cleared her throat before reaching over the counter and tapping his shoulder. He managed to glance away from the grill for a moment before focusing on the paper.

"Oh, this? I decided that we'd be having a really good meal today. Everyone in town is taking the week off because of the weather, so I bought some stuff to make a really good meal." Frisk watched as he took a quick glance at the grill and saw grease flowing out of it and into the grease trap. She'd never tried food that had grease, so the strange material that was leaking out was concerning. She quickly took to the pen and paper, writing a new comment. "Anyways, I got this recipe from Joseph while we were shopping."

" _What is that stuff leaking out? Is it supposed to do that? Why were you in the store instead of the police station?_ "

Eran took another glance at the grill before returning his attention to her. He leaned back when he noticed the held directly in front of his face. Frisk waited for him to read her questions, which felt like forever to her, for some strange reason. She watched him reread the paper before looking at her and then switching between her and the paper. He shrugged his shoulders, glancing at the grill quickly, before finally replying.

"From what Joseph told me, it's grease. Apparently, it's what happens when you cook meat." Eran glanced at the grill again, perhaps the food was close to being finished. "As for the other thing, I told you that everyone's off work because it's supposed to get really bad over the week. I went with him to the store to pick up something nice to eat since I was going to be home." Frisk watched Eran turn back to the grill and turn it off before opening it and examining the meat.

Frisk frowned and watched him from behind the counter. She wondered why he felt the need to buy the expensive food in the first place. She turned away from him and made her way back to the living room and took a seat on the smaller of the two couches. She looked at the paper in her hands, which was riddled with various messages, before putting it at the bottom of the stack she had. She put pen to paper and wrote down quickly. She did such for a long time because when the time to eat the meal Eran had been preparing she was still writing. She heard him tap a metal spoon on the counter and clear his throat.

She set the writing items down and walked over to him, looking at what he made. It was some sort of soup in a bowl and it smelled like nothing she'd ever smelled before. It was colored a dark brown and seemed to have chunks of bread and something else that was a darker brown than the soup itself. A lone spoon rested on the edge of the bowl, glistening a silver color with small spots of brown liquid tinting the spoon a golden color. She carefully took the bowl and noted how it emitted warmth and the steam rising from it.

Eran made a comment on it being hot and to be careful when "digging in" to it, whatever that meant. Frisk didn't always understand some of the things Eran said when he talked but, fortunately, his teaching had allowed her to get the general gist of what he meant. Some times his slang would slip by and completely puzzle her. Regardless of what he meant, she made sure to blow on the soup before attempting to eat it. She remembered Eran treating her and him to a soup meal in a restaurant when she was younger but those memories have become fuzzy since then. Thankfully, one of the things that stuck with her was that steam meant the soup would burn you if you weren't careful.

She took her time blowing on the soup until she could hardly see the steam rising from the soup. She took a small spoon full of the soup, which was fool of brown broth, before putting it in her mouth. It was pretty hot, almost too hot for her liking, yet it was still pleasant. She savored the taste of the broth before she paused, which was quickly followed by her eyes lighting up. She quickly scooped up another spoonful, this time getting a carrot in the bite, which tasted even better than the previous. She shoveled more and more spoonfuls into her mouth until she came across the cube of dark brown substance. She carefully sniffed it and examined before taking a lick, which made her taste buds explode in flavor, then shove it whole heartedly into her mouth.

Within a matter of minutes she had devoured the entire bowl and was licking it clean. The other occupant of the house, Eran, simply stared and raised an eyebrow at her behavior. Frisk quickly looked between him and the bowl before glancing at the kitchen. Eran nodded at her obvious question about getting more food. Frisk didn't even wait for him to speak before bolting in the kitchen and refilling her bowl. She filled her bowl and began consuming it whole heartedly.

The two continued to eat in silence for some time until the were full. It wasn't a common feeling for the two of them but it was a welcomed one. The two proceeded to clean up their mess prior to taking seats in the living room. They then began to converse about subjects that they, in normal circumstances, typically never had the time to. Frisk enjoyed hearing about the various exploits Eran and Joseph got into while Eran found himself found of Frisk's surprisingly wild imagination. Eventually, as with all things, the topics became stale and they sought entertainment elsewhere. Fortunately, Frisk's time spent at home had allowed her plenty of time to explore the old house and discover something.

She quickly recovered the surprise, keeping Eran in suspense, and brought it back. The surprise came in the form of multiple board games. Anyone who was in touch with the pulse of the Underground knew that board games were old, _really_ old. The games were obviously older than Eran, probably older than his parents too. One had the image of a cartoon person holding bags, pieces of paper falling from the bags, with two lines coming down through the letter S. The second had a checkered pattern on the cover, with strange shapes on both sides of the cover, and the word " _Chess_ " printed in the middle. The last one was different, it came in a plastic case that opened up into two sides with a divider in the middle, strange images printed on it, and the word " _Battleship_ " on either side of the case.

The two had a tough time understanding the rules and directions on how to set up the games but managed to get started. Eventually, through hours of playing, they became decent at a few of the games they found. Ironically, the one game that Frisk excelled at was Battleship, which led to a bitter resentment for the game from the older of the two. The do continued to play and talk and find whatever they could to fill their time. Eventually night fall came and the two were forced to retreat to the bedroom and wrap up in layers of blankets for a moderate amount of warmth while sleeping. Their life was hard and sometimes depressing but it did have its moments.

The following morning they decided to play pretend to satisfy their boredom. Frisk was the ruler of the Underground and Eran was the captain of her body guards. This charade continued well into the following days. They would occasionally alternate between playing pretend, imaginary games, and board games. On a few occasions they decided to try their hand at art but they would eventually return to the other childish games to occupy their time. This pattern continued for the majority of the week following Eran's extended stay at home...

 **xxxXxxxXxxxXxxx**

 **...**

Eran stood outside on an extremely cold morning and watched over the blank snow fields just outside of town. The white of the snow, with the dark trees in the background, seemed to glow on that particular day. It was a stark contrast to how the on duty peace keeper was looking. Instead of bright, positive, calm, and-perhaps-even bubbly, he looked tired, irritated, and even-some might dare say-fuming. This look on someone of authority would, typically, ward off anyone that had the idea of interacting with him. Of course, his rank of Corporal didn't mean anything to his fellow Corporal Joseph, who was approaching him.

The peace keeper stopped until he was beside Eran. He followed his line of view and waited, scanning for anything that might be holding Eran's interest. When nothing came up, the young man decided to bump Eran with his shoulder to snap him out of his trance. It didn't work because Eran just went back to the same position he was in. When silence permeated the air between the two friends, Joseph sighed and broke the ice.

"Alright, what happened?" Eran took a short glance at him before returning his gaze to the field.

"I'm fine." Eran tried to squash the conversation before it began. Despite the insistence to end the conversation being clear in his voice, his friend either refused to acknowledge it or simply didn't care.

"Uh huh, and the trees like to whisper to one another." Joseph glanced at the field for a moment before crossing his arms and focusing on Eran. "So I ask again, what happened?" Joseph continued to stare at Eran for some time after the question had been asked. Eran, initially refused to acknowledge the question ever being ask but the awkward silence and scrutinizing gaze seemed to ware on his resolve.

"Look, it's nothing to concern yourself with." Eran finally looked at his friend, something he'd been avoiding the whole conversation.

"Well my friend is acting like someone just took a piss in his breakfast meal, so you're definitely not okay." The comment on breakfast managed to crack Eran's mask. For the first time that day he let a smile slip out and a few silent chuckles. "C'mon man, just tell me what's up." Eran looked between him and the floor before switching to the field.

"Look, it's just that Frisk's got this new job and it's over at Castle Bravo."

"So you're upset because she's away from home? Man, aren't you gone for most of the day anyway? I don't see how this effects you." Eran's face deadpanned before he further elaborated on the situation involving Frisk.

"It's not that, I was excited too at first. Then I learned she was working at Castle Bravo..." Eran's voice turned solemn at the mention of the super heated portion of the Underground.

"What? I don't follow, what's wrong with her working in the C.B. area?" Eran squinted his eyes at his friend, for it seemed that the could be denser then a rock at times.

"Dude, Castle Bravo is where they're holding the DT experiments. I don't feel safe with Frisk working there. I get worried about her." Eran stomped his feet in place to try and get the blood flowing in his legs. He was starting to feel the cold despite wearing his uniform.

"Oh right, those determination trials or something. C'mon walk with me." Joseph added quickly before using Eran's shoulder to direct him to follow. "Last time I checked, weren't those about looking at human souls or something?" Eran nodded before adding into the line of thought.

"Yeah, apparently everyone has a soul that is colored a specific color. Supposedly it's supposed to mean what your defining attribute is but I don't know how true that is." A chuckle came from Joseph when he heard his friend.

"Sure, I'm pretty sure some people don't have a soul, like who ever is behind those murders on the other side of Polaris." He commented when the rounded the corner of a building and found themselves on a sparsely populated road with people walking up and down it, in and out of stores. Eran nodded, his face turning grim from the reminder of the grisly attacks they'd heard about. If Eran were to come out and reveal his feelings, he'd confidently say the Joseph just made him more anxious for Frisk. They walked across the street and into a wooden building that had the words " _Common Supply_ " written on the front.

The store was warm inside and, unlike the white paint and red text outside, it was a polished brown on the inside. The room was decorated with multiple shelves that held all sorts of trinkets or even some tools and kitchen items. Eran had never been in this building prior to Joseph taking him there. He wondered why Joseph even bothered bringing him here, he should be getting back to _actually working_ anyways. He watched Joseph walk up the counter and ring the bell before following him.

After a minute of waiting, a small man came into view. His skin was pink in tone and he had hair that was a mix of blond and white, which still looked neat despite the man's head balding. He wore small glasses, the lenses resembling ovals, with the arms and frame being white. He wore white clothes that were hand sewn in some areas. The short man, easily five foot four, smiled when he saw Joseph at the counter. At the counter, the man stepped onto the stool and pulled Joseph into a hug. Joseph reciprocated in kind to the greeting.

"Ah Joseph, so good to see you again." The older man spoke when he leaned away from the hug.

"You too dedushka." The older man, looking to be in his late fifties, turned and looked at Eran. He looked him up and down for a brief moment before questioning Joseph's choice in company.

"And who is you're friend here?" Joseph glanced to Eran before focusing back on the shopkeep.

"That's my friend Eran, he's fine to be here. I'm actually picking something up for him." This caused Eran's brow to rise, casting a questioning gaze to his friend. Fortunately, it dropped from his face when he saw the shopkeeper's head snap in his direction. He seemed to peer right into Eran's soul for a moment before leaning back. A large smile spread across his face before he turned back to Joseph.

"So, what'll you be having today?"

"I'm looking for something stronger than what I normally get. I think I heard about the X-III being shipped out a while ago, got any?" The once kind and happy smile soon morphed into a toothy, devious, grin on the old man.

"As a matter of fact I do but you should know something. The X-III isn't cheap and'll cost you an arm and a leg to get." The friend returned a grin just a toothy and nodded.

"Oh I know."

"Okay, I'll be right back with it in a moment." The shopkeep left and went into the back room, leaving the two peace keepers alone in the front. Eran sent a inquisitive look towards his friend, who merely smile and shrugged.

"Relax, it'll be fine."

"That's not my concern, this sounds shady as hell."

"Trust me, it'll be fine." As soon as he finished his sentence, the old shopkeep returned with a box. It was covered on the inside so no one could see in without opening it. The old man placed it on the counter before stepping onto some sort of step that boosted his height. He quickly opened the box in a careful, yet speedy manner. He then unwrapped layers of padding until something glass could be seen inside.

With the utmost care, the old man grabbed the box's content and pulled it out. It was a shiny, well polished, glass bottle with gold labeling and red text on it. The bottle was incredibly fat near the body and drastically thinner near the neck with some sort of fancy cap on top. The bottle was filled with some kind of brown/amber liquid that resembled syrup to the young peace keeper. It glistened devilishly underneath the lights of the room.

"This is the gen X mark III version, just hit the shelves. It's going to be 150..." The old man seemed extremely please, whether that be from how much one would have to pay for the item or be it some form of pride over possessing the item. Eran couldn't be sure on the subject but he could be sure that his jaw hit the floor from hearing the price. He wondered just what Joseph was even thinking on buying something so expensive. He watched Joseph pay the man before his friend turned to him with the biggest-toothiest-grin Eran had ever seen on him. Eran swallowed a lump in his throat at what ever his friend had planned for him.

"My friend, it's time you experience the greatest thing ever known to man."

This was going to be a long day... or maybe not...


End file.
